H&M: Top Sustainable Cotton User in 2010

H&M Hennes & Mauritz could use some good news this week after last week's reports on mass faintings in Cambodian factories. According to Textile Exchange, the fast fashion retailer was the biggest user of organic cotton worldwide in 2010. Textile Exchange works to promote organic cotton and produces the Global Sustainable Textiles Market Report every year.

H&M, which was founded in Sweden in 1947, used around 15,000 tonnes of organic cotton during the year analyzed. "The intention is to gradually use more organic cotton as part of our target to only use more sustainable cotton by 2020. We want to further contribute towards increased demand for organic cotton and motivate farmers for sustainable cotton cultivation" said Henrik Lampa, the company's CSR Product Manager.

The company started to use certified organic cotton in 2004. Since 2007, organic cotton garments are found in all departments. In some cases, the material accounts for 100% of the fabric while in others it accounts for 50%.

The company said it also works to improve conventional cotton growing through the Better Cotton Initiative. The NGO develops and promotes practices that aim at reducing the use of chemicals and water and increasing productivity at the same time.

Switching to sustainable cotton is important because this type of crop accounts for 25% of pesticides used in the world. Therefore switch to organic cotton can have a very positive impact on the environment and human and non-human health.